We’re told A&E CEO Nancy Dubuc felt she could not in good conscience ask gay employees to kill themselves for a show when he disrespected them by calling them sinners.

Our sources say … gay employees involved in the production — and there are a number of them — were outraged by Phil’s comments to GQ and wanted Dubuc to give him the ax.

We’re told Dubuc felt this way … If Phil had made similar comments about African Americans or Jews … there would have been a public outcry for his head. She felt it was just plain wrong not to have the same sense of indignation when the comments were directed at gays.